


you deserve more (than to be loved in halves)

by LiveLaughLovex



Category: The Code (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, F/M, Friendship, Post-Canon, Pre-John "Abe" Abraham/Harper Li, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25246399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveLaughLovex/pseuds/LiveLaughLovex
Summary: “Do you think I’m a terrible person?”“Only on the mornings you drink the last of the coffee,” Abe replied absently.---Harper's mother sometimes tells her daughter extraordinarily idiotic things. Abe isn't allowed to tell Elaine Li how he feels about this, due to an express order from his co-counsel. He'll even respect that command. Probably.
Relationships: John "Abe" Abraham & Harper Li
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	you deserve more (than to be loved in halves)

**Author's Note:**

> The title (as well as the line in the story I got it from) are inspired by this quote from Sarah Snow: "You are too full of everything that makes you whole to ever be loved in halves."

“Do you think I’m a terrible person?”

“Only on the mornings you drink the last of the coffee,” Abe replied absently, finishing up with his report and saving it before closing out of the file and pushing away from his keyboard. He glanced away from the screen to meet Harper’s unamused gaze with an exasperated smile of his own. “No, of course I don’t think that. Why would you even ask that?”

She heaved a sigh before practically collapsing into her own seat. “My mother might have used our weekly phone conversation to stage an intervention about my _inability to commit_.”

“Weren’t you and Bard engaged for over a year? And you were together for eight years before that? Maybe I’m not the _most_ knowledgeable when it comes to commitment, but I have to say, that doesn’t really seem to me like an _inability_ to do it.” Abe leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. “What’s really going on with you, Harper?”

She laughed halfheartedly. “What do you mean, what’s _really_ going on with me? I just told you.”

“Your mother says judgmental things to you during _every conversation_ you have with the woman, Li. Why’s it bothering you so much _now_?”

Harper heaved a disgruntled sigh, displeased at being caught. “Bard updated his Facebook status a few days ago. He’s _in a relationship_.”

“Ah. And that bothers you.”

It wasn’t a question, but she answered anyway. “It bothers me that it doesn’t bother me,” she confessed. “It should bother me, shouldn’t it?”

“Again, I have _zero_ experience in this area. My longest relationship lasted four months, and it was with my dead best friend’s widow. I’m probably the _least_ qualified person in this entire office to give you advice.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Harper allowed, huffing out a breath as she titled her head back to stare up at the ceiling. “But Maya hates talking about her divorce, and Trey’s still in baby bliss, and Rami – well, he would _try_ to be helpful, but we both know he’d just end up making everything adorably awkward…”

“That does seem to be his go-to reaction,” Abe agreed lightly.

“…and there’s no way in _hell_ I’m going to ask Turnbull. So, that leaves you.”

“Thanks for the rundown, Li. It’s always so nice to hear I’m someone’s last resort,” Abe quipped playfully, smiling sunnily when she was unable to bite back a laugh.

“You know what I mean.”

“Yes, I do know what you mean,” he agreed seriously, sitting up straighter in his seat. “And it isn’t wrong not to feel jealous about your ex-fiancé moving on. There’s a reason he’s your ex, right?”

“That reason does happen to be that I couldn’t commit, though.”

“No, that _reason_ is because he couldn’t handle you being in the Corps,” Abe corrected sternly, staring over at her. “Don’t rewrite history just because your mother got in your head, Harper. You might’ve been the one to walk away, but he called it just as much as you did.”

“Yeah,” she sighed begrudgingly, “I guess you’re right.”

Their phones both went off at the same time, and they glanced down to see a new message from the colonel displayed on their screens.

“Meeting in fifteen minutes,” Harper read, meeting Abe’s gaze. “That doesn’t sound good, does it?”

“I don’t know how four words, typed into a box, could sound good or bad,” Abe returned, grabbing his empty coffee mug from his desk, and then heading toward the staff kitchen for a refill.

Harper fell into step beside him. “Was Alex really your longest relationship?”

“She was.”

“That’s… a little concerning, Abe. I’m a little concerned.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, reaching for the half-full carafe and filling his cup three-quarters of the way. He smiled in thanks when she slid both the small container of sugar and a half-pint of half-and-half over to him. “You and my mother both.”

-o-

“Okay, so I know I said we were done talking about it,” Harper paused at his groan, then simply shrugged, obviously deciding to just speak over him, “but I have another question.”

“Why?” Abe muttered, his voice muffled by the hand covering his face. He pulled it away to stare at her, that same unamused expression common during the early days of their acquaintanceship. “Look, I want to help. I do. But beyond what’s already been said…”

“We’re friends, Abe,” she said crossly, though her glare was more playful than anything. “This is friendship.”

“Listening to you complain about your idiot of an ex-fiancé is friendship?” Abe repeated dubiously. “Sorry, I don’t remember reading that in the manual.”

“Well, that’s because there is no…” She trailed off at the sight of his amused smirk. “And Bard’s _not_ an idiot.”

“Well, his name’s _Bard_ , and he didn’t go and get _that_ changed the day he turned eighteen, so he’s obviously no Einstein,” Abe shot back, returning his attention to the pile of forms in front of him.

“The only person who’s ever had a problem with his name is _you_ , Abraham.”

“No, I’m the only one who’s ever expressly _said_ I have a problem with his name,” he corrected lightly, sighing when her expression remained unchanged. “What’s the question?”

“ _Do_ you think I push people away?”

“ _That’s_ the question?”

“Yes.”

He dropped his pen atop the papers, then leaned forward, his elbows resting against the desk. “No. You don’t push people away. You never have, and anyone who thinks you do is an idiot.” He held up a hand to quell the protests he could already see developing on her lips. “ _Bard_ was an idiot for proposing to you when he did. If he didn’t want to be married to a Marine, asking one to marry him is a pretty counterintuitive concept, don’t you think?”

“I guess,” Harper hedged, still appearing uncertain.

“Well, I’m not guessing, I’m certain,” he retorted, voice softening when her eyes dodged away from his. “I’m going to be uncharacteristically benevolent here, alright?”

She huffed a laugh, then shook her head, not even trying to hide her eyeroll. “It’s not exactly _uncharacteristic_ for you to be _nice_ , Abe, but… carry on.”

“Thank you for granting permission,” he quipped before growing serious. “Look, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Harper. You deserve more than someone who loves you in halves. You should never have to sacrifice who you are for who someone else wants you to be. Bard didn’t want to take you as you are. That’s his issue, not yours. You’re going to find someone who doesn’t have that issue, and believe me when I tell you that you will come around and realize how right I was to tell you that anyone who’s ever told you you’re incapable of commitment, or of letting people get close, is a fool.”

“You realize you’re calling my mother a fool?”

“If your mother truly believes those things, Harper, then she _is_ a fool,” Abe said resolutely. “I’ll say that to her face, if you want me to.”

“No, no, no,” she rushed to assure him. “Your face is, is pretty good the way it is. I’d hate for my mother to go and rearrange it.”

He smirked at that. “Thanks, Li. Always good to hear my face is, uh, _pretty good the way it is_.”

Her cheeks were probably (definitely) flaming. “Yeah, well.” She cleared her throat. “It’s the truth. And, um, thank you,” she added a moment later. “For saying that.”

“I meant all of it,” he returned seriously, smile slowly transforming into something much gentler.

She smiled in return. “I know. That’s why I said thank you.”

“Of course.” He stared at her for a moment. “Now, I know you don’t want me to say that to your mother, but can I say it to…”

“No, you cannot call Bard an idiot to his face.”

“I wasn’t going to call him an idiot,” Abe protested indignantly. “I was going to call him a fool. Completely different insult.”

“Abe?”

“Yeah?”

“Let it go,” she advised, though the amused smile still clinging to her lips as she returned her attention to her own paperwork gave her away.

“Yeah, okay.”


End file.
